Why Summer Grooming Is So Crucial?

As the environment heats up, factors like higher temperature, higher humidity, more outdoor activities, and exposure to sun rays challenge the health and well-being of your dog. Your canine friend may face issues like more matting, a higher infestation of ticks and fleas, rapid shedding, sunburn, skin infections, dehydration, heat stroke, etc., and the only solution to avoid all these problems is to follow essential dog grooming tips for summer dog grooming, discussed below.

Essential Dog Grooming Tips For The Summer

• Brushing

To get rid of broken hairs and prevent tangling and matting of the coat, it’s imperative to brush your dog's coat regularly (at least once a week). However, if you own a long-haired dog, you will have to brush 2-3 times a week or sometimes daily, depending on the condition of the coat. It is not recommended to shave or trim your dog’s coat because shaving or trimming too much can aggravate the condition by causing skin issues and discomfort.

• Bathing

When it comes to handling summer and heat stress, the first thing that comes to mind is a cool bath. No doubt, bathing is necessary to keep your dog clean, odor-free, and glossy. Especially in summer, bathing is also crucial to make your dog feel comfortable and cool. However, unlike humans, dogs don't need to bathe daily or too often. Generally, in summer 2-3 baths in a month are recommended for dogs. Bathing too much removes the natural coat oils, resulting in dryness, itching, and irritation. 

• Pay Attention To Ears

During summer, when humidity is high, and we usually bathe our canine friend more than usual, the moisture level inside the ears rises significantly, creating a perfect environment for bacterial and fungal growth, leading to infection. In particular, ear infections are more common in dog breeds with long-hanging ears. Thus, you must check your dog's ears frequently and give them a cleaning at least once a week. In addition, keep an eye on the growth of hairs around the ears and trim them as soon as they become too long. It's so because long hairs around the ears can pick up dirt from the surroundings, thus increasing the chances of infections.

• Paws Care

Many dog owners might not think paw care is very important, but it's really important for a dog's health in the summer. The pads on a dog's feet can get hurt by hot surfaces like sidewalks, leading to blisters, cuts, and cracks. Try to walk your dog early in the morning or late in the evening when the ground isn't too hot. To see if it's safe to walk your dog, put your hand flat on the ground. If you can't keep your hand there for five seconds, it's too hot for your dog to walk on.

Another important part of taking care of your pet's paws is cutting their nails and the hair around their paws. If the nails are too long, it can hurt when they walk and might even break, causing soreness. The long hair around their paws can catch dirt and wetness, which can lead to infections. So, it's really important to watch how fast their nails and the hair around their paws grow and cut them as soon as they need it. 

• Check For Ticks And Fleas

There is a higher infestation of ticks and fleas in the summer. Even if your home is parasite-free, your dog can pick eggs of live insects during outdoor activities. So frequently check your dog’s body thoroughly for the presence of ticks or fleas, especially when he returns from outdoor activity.

• Sunburn Protection

All Dogs (especially light-colored and short-haired breeds (e.g., Dalmatian, Greyhound, Boxer, Pitbull, etc.) are more prone to sunburn. Sunburn is generally more likely to occur on hairless body parts (such as the belly, ears, nose, etc.). So, when going out in the sun, applying a pet-safe sunscreen is a good option to protect your pet from sunburn.

• Keep Your Dog Hydrated 

Last but not least, make sure that your canine friend has continuous access to fresh cold water and drinks enough water to keep his body hydrated. As we know, hydration is not only necessary to fight against heat but also to maintain overall health and well-being.

Point To Remember

As a dog parent, you need to be extra vigilant during the summer as far as the grooming needs of your pet are concerned. Moreover, don't forget to use pet-safe and dog-specific tools for grooming activities, like hair brushes, hair trimmers, nail trimmers, shampoos, etc. In addition to the general points discussed above, every dog breed has specific grooming requirements that you must know. You can contact Pet Lounge, the best pet store in Dubai, where you not only get quality pet grooming tools but also a team of experts who can guide you about the breed-specific grooming needs of your dog in the summer.